Rambling Girls
by sweeny81
Summary: Innocent and Hobson have the girlie chat we'd all love to see them have on the show. And the blanks to the Lewis/ Robson relationship are filled in.
1. Chapter 1

**Rambling Girls**

_She supposed it was a reasonable question. They had known each other for years, had dipped their toes in flirtatious waters, had even once arranged a weekend away together (on a purely platonic level of course). He made no secret of his dislike of her dates, had_ even_ admitted to jealousy on occasion, while she had simply always said nothing at his brief flirtations with other women. _

_Yet despite all of that, they had never gotten past that invisible line between friendship and romance._

_"Why now?" Jean Innocent had asked. _

_Laura didn't have a clue._

* * *

Laura had to admit that she was not exactly looking forward to the evening ahead of her. She was becoming of bit weary of the dating scene, meeting yet another perfectly nice man, having a pleasant evening, before she would politely make her excuses to leave and likely never contact the man again. Lately, it seemed, she was having a lot of first dates.

A figure on the path caught her attention, and she was surprised to see Robbie, staring out across the river with a melancholy look on his face. She smiled fondly and wondered what or who had caused the look on his face when her smiling, waving date came into view. She sighed, already questioning how long it would be until she could leave without seeming rude.

It wasn't his fault, Ben was his name, he was perfectly nice. Just, too nice. Like a smiling kindly vicar who believes the whole world to be wonderful. Laura, being a pathologist, regularly saw the depravity of the world first hand and it gave her a slightly more rounded view. Ben was most definitely the type not to get her gallows humour, although not many people did. Even Robbie had to be in the mood for it.

She made her apologies about an early start and left on her bike, Ben smiling manically as she left asking her to call him the next day. She stopped along the river at the point when she had seen Robbie earlier. She didn't know why she kept doing it to herself, these pointless, hopeless dates, that she knew would never go anywhere. She sighed and pushed off, suddenly keen to get home, curl up on the sofa with a good book and a hefty glass of wine.

* * *

_"Timing." Laura said as she took a sip of wine, smiling over the rim at the Chief Superintendent. _

_Jean smirked back at her, "Timing? It has to be the longest courtship in history."_

_Laura laughed, her mood light for obvious reasons, "Except we weren't exactly courting."_

_"I told James once I wanted to bang your heads together. Two attractive, single people who obviously liked each other. I couldn't understand why you didn't just get on with it."_

_Laura looked at her surprised, "I didn't realise you were rooting for us."_

_Jean shrugged, "Contrary to belief I am a bit of a romantic. And also contrary to belief I like you both. It's nice to see you happy. Robbie doesn't strike me as someone that was born to be a loner. That was more his old governor's style wasn't it? Morse."_

_"I don't know what he would have made of Robbie. The power of grief. For a while there he was so unrecognisable."_

_"Before the BVI you mean?"_

_Laura nodded, "Hmm and after to some extent. As his friend it was hard to watch. It's taken a long time for him to heal."_

_"Is that why it's taken so long for you two..."_

_Laura nodded, all at once serious, "I would never have pushed," she paused, "Well not hard anyway."_

_"You've attempted to 'force the issue' before as it were?"_

_Laura nodded, "Without much success though."_

_"I tried to set him up once. Major operational failure."_

_"I remember. I got a bit snippy with him," Jean raised an eyebrow, "Well, snippier than normal."_

_"Sorry." Jean said, looking as if she meant it._

_"That's ok, I've hardly been chaste and virginal myself all these years."_

_Jean smiled before shaking her head, "What a mess that was."_

_Laura pulled a face in sympathy, "Is Ginny still sectioned?"_

_Jean sighed, the memory obviously still upsetting even after all this time,"Yes. Still in her own fantasy world. I doubt she will ever see the light of day again."_

_Laura cocked her head, "You weren't to know Jean."_

_"I know." She shook herself, "It stopped me from ever setting Robbie up with anyone again though."_

_"Small mercies." Laura replied and they both laughed._

* * *

"You're a single bloke, zap it in the microwave. It'll be fine." She said as she got in to her car with a smirk. Robbie was definitely not his usual self today, what the issue was with Jack Cornish she didn't know, but it seemed to be bothering him. She resolved to put a rush on the PM, see if she could give him the answers he needed.

She decided to hold off mentioning that she saw him the previous night, partly because she wasn't sure what she would say if he asked her why she hadn't gone over to say hello. The weird dynamics of their relationship meant that she was never quite sure if she should tell him about her dates, if you could call them that, or not. For a man that was obviously not ready to be more than friends, he never took news of any potential suitor very well. It left her feeling both flattered that he cared and generally confused.

The PM ended up being pretty straightforward in that it didn't tell her very much. Although she couldn't help the glee with which she shared the results.

"You're enjoying this!" Robbie said with mock accusation.

"I'm just wondering how you are going to start untangling it." She replied, mocking slightly.

"With great skill." Robbie replied

"And without Hathaway, it'll be like having one hand tied behind your back." She smiled as he waved his hand at her behind his back. It was funny, she had more fun over a corpse joshing with Robbie than she had had on any of her recent dates. It was knowledge that was not new to her and she clamped down on the wistful feeling she could feel in the pit of her stomach.

"Right. Next."

* * *

"_Was there ever anyone serious for you?" Jean asked._

_"Not really. Not long-term at least. There was Franco, we dated for while, talked about living together and then off he went to a new job opportunity in Germany and I didn't go with him."_

_"Did he ask?"_

_"Sort of."_

_"You never regretted not going?"_

_Laura shook her head, "No. He came back a couple of years ago. It was nice, easy, flirtatious. And then one evening while we were out for dinner Hathaway walked in and I felt like I had been caught out."_

_"But you and Robbie weren't together?"_

_"No, we were in this strange limbo land. Not together, although we saw each other socially regularly. With and without others. I would get invited along for dinner when his kids came to visit. I think I was the first person he told when Lyn got pregnant."_

_"Sounds like dating to me. Bloody idiot."_

_"Him or me?" Laura asked with a laugh._

_"Oh definitely him. Us girls have to stick together." Jean leaned back looking at the pathologist with a quizzical eye._

_"What?"_

_"How long have you been in love with him?"_

* * *

Laura prided herself on being a professional. She was bloody good at her job, one of the best in Oxford. Murder inquiries often hung on her judgement and it was a responsibility she took seriously, always going the extra mile to be satisfied in her findings. Therefore there were not many police officers who would dare question her or ask her to "take another look" without receiving the ice cold stare and sharp tongue she was renowned for. Robbie Lewis and James Hathaway however appeared to be the exception, although the latter usually had the sense to leave the questions up to his superior officer.

Which is why she found herself going over the body of the GP again, this time he hadn't even had to ask before she capitulated, although when he had intimated his desire for her speed in this, her last shred of pride managed to croak out a "don't push it".

She knew she had it bad, had for years. Probably even when he was completely out of bounds, a happily married sergeant with a cheeky grin, softening the edges of his Inspector's gruff exterior. She was self aware enough to know the truth of her feelings, she had never truly considered acting on them and had drifted from one failed relationship to another. Men liked her, she never had a real problem in getting a man. It was just keeping them that appeared to be the problem.

Her job didn't help, most normal people found it a bit weird or ghoulish. Neither did her strong independence, which she was not willing to compromise. If anyone knew of her feelings for the grieving inspector they would assume the lack of a permanent man in her life was down to her pining for the man she could never had. But anyone who knew her would know the truth, which was, simply, she wasn't willing to settle. Her feelings for Robbie had shown her what it could be like. Until she met someone that could make her feel like that, she would be happily content and single.

She stared at body in distaste, she hated to have to disappoint him, worse, she hated the fact that she felt she was disappointing him. It wasn't her fault there was...

"Aha!" Laura exclaimed to the empty morgue. A small grin forming as she finished up and scrubbed out, reaching for her mobile.

Meet half way he had said, and Laura couldn't help bouncing along the path. These were moments that made her job worthwhile. Making a difference. It wasn't ego, although she knew she had one, it was more that her job meant something to someone. A family member, a loved one, a break in a murder inquiry, an indication of guilt or innocence. It was important, and if it put a smile on Lewis' face then that was a bonus.

Once, many years ago now, her findings had led to him declaring that she must be secretly in love with him. She'd been proud of the fact that she hadn't blushed and told the cocky sod that she was actually in love with Hathaway. That had shut him up. She smiled as she remembered the look on his face and before she knew it she saw him striding towards her.

She explained quickly using her hands to demonstrate how the bruising had occurred, as she got caught up in her own enthusiasm it took a minute for her to realize that her hands were now brushing imaginary lint off his shoulders. He was looking down at her with barely concealed amusement. She dropped her hands quickly, berating herself for being so transparent. She'd long come to accept that her and Robbie were never going to get past the 'just good friends' stage in their relationship. It was an ache she bore with no bitterness, only resignation, so it pained her to expose her unrequited feelings. The last thing she wanted was his pity. She knew it was an open secret, they'd flirted and dabbled with the idea of more so many times. But they'd never discussed it, just accepted it for what it was. A wonderful friendship. Nothing more, nothing less. But sometimes, just sometimes, it hurt.

She fell into step beside him, trying to brush away her awkwardness with the facts of the case, listening to him hypothesize, challenging when necessary. It was an age-old dance that they did.

* * *

_"I honestly couldn't tell you. I liked him from the moment I met him, couldn't understand how he put up with Morse, grumpy git. Even if there was something attractive about him."_

_"Morse?! You didn't?"_

_"Oh god no. He turned me down actually. Mortifying when I think of it now, but I've always liked a challenge."_

_"From what I've heard Morse was more of a hopeless case than a challenge. So no sparks with Robbie when you first met?"_

_Laura shook her head, "No. Robbie was always lovely, good fun, kind and very, very married. I went for dinner with him and Val a few times, met the kids. There was an attraction but not one I would have ever considered acting upon. When Val died I just tried to be a friend, and then when he came back from the BVI, once I got over the ghastly shirt, I realised just how pleased I was to see him. But he was still so raw. We fell back in to our old working pattern. It was easy, comfortable."_

_"When did it change? Or when did you realise it had changed?"_

_"It was strange, we had always been friends and we spent time a lot of time together socially. You now how he likes a sounding board. And then there was a case, another pathologist had cocked up with his report. By the second death I had managed to collect enough evidence from the body to suggest murder. Robbie joked that I was telling him all that because I was secretly in love with him._

_"Cocky sod."_

_Laura laughed, "That's exactly what I said, then told him I was secretly in love with Hathaway."_

_Jean chuckled at that, "Serves him right. But I assume he was not far off the mark."_

_"He was just being his normal, jokey, slightly flirting self, but he caught me off guard. I have no idea how it happened or when or why. But there it was. And at the time entirely one sided. Or so I thought."_

_"You never discussed it?"_

_"Not then. The closest I got once was when I was encouraging him to speak to James once. Gosh years ago. James was having a hard time, thinking of leaving the force and Robbie didn't want him to go. I told him that people don't know how you feel unless you tell them. He seemed to get the message and things between us seemed to move forward. He even asked me to go away for the weekend with him._

_"When was this?"_

_"It was the bank holiday weekend you got called back from your cousins' wedding. The quiz murders and the famous "Gibson" case. We had to cancel,"_

_Jean nodded remembering, "And then what?"_

_"Nothing. I knew nothing would come of it, he was ridiculous before we were due to go, calling me every five minutes to check everything was ok for the weekend. I knew he was nervous."_

_"You didn't rearrange?"_

_"No we went out for dinner, fish and chips out of the bag by the river."_

_"Romantic soul."_

_"It wasn't long after that my friend Ligeia was murdered and well, you know what happened."_

_Jean nodded sympathetically, "Hathaway told me he was distraught at the thought of anything happening to you. He never wanted to doubt you you know."_

_"I know. After Ligeia's funeral we went for a drink, he apologised, I apologised and he told me that he cared for me. We agreed our friendship was a priority and we wouldn't let anything come between us again. _

_"Did you both keep to your promise?"_

_Laura smiled ruefully, " Not exactly."_

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Bloody idiot. Stupid bloody idiot. Laura wiped the tear that had strayed from her eye as she watched the ambulance take Robbie and the young girl to the hospital. The panic and fear she had felt as he had entered the burning boat would stay with her forever. As would the feeling of relief when she had seen him burst out of the boat with the girl in his arms. She had lost her normal stoic and atheist self momentarily when she had whispered thanks to a god she didn't believe in when she realised he was okay. Then she rushed over in full medical doctor mode to make sure they were both as far from the burning boat and its gas bottles as possible before she checked the girl over. It wasn't until the ambulance pulled away that she could feel the adrenaline fade away and her emotions returned. She could hardly believe the last couple of hours. The invitation to dinner had not been unusual or unwelcome but the gentlemanly grasp of her hand as they came down the bank and the solid feel of her hand in his had left her dumbfounded.

She had been worried that this case, the funeral home in particular, had been too much for Robbie's emotions. The fact he had clasped his hand around hers had her slightly concerned for his mental health. He was never usually so physically affectionate with her, their friendship and the very thin line between that and more was always so respectfully observed. He was confusing the hell out of her.

Her phone beeped. It was Robbie, texting her from the back of the ambulance. He really should have had those hands checked for burns before he started fiddling with his phone.

_Sorry about nearly getting us blown up. Dinner at the Randolph tomorrow, 7pm? Make up for us not getting a curry._

The Randolph? She was normally lucky to get a pub meal out of Robbie. The last time he had suggested somewhere so posh he was trying to make it up to her for being such a snarky git. And perhaps other things that they had never addressed. And before then was the weekend away that never was.

Was the Randolph an apology or something else entirely?

She shook herself, resolved to not dwell on it and replied to his message.

_Sure as long as you're paying._

* * *

"_Remember when his old Sergeant turned up?" Laura said, the rueful smile turning serious._

_"The corrupt cop? How could I forget?"_

_"It had been a strange case, linked to the one he was on when he got the news about Val."_

_"I had been a bit concerned. I heard he'd been a bit short with you. He nearly got a lecture about professional behaviour."_

_"He was a bit…brusque. I understood of course, but I think that memories of that time coupled with Ali's return had brought up some strange feelings for him. You know, he was with her hours before she was killed?"_

_"As in..."_

_"I'm not sure, but something happened. Enough for him to feel guilty and take me out for a posh meal. He never told me what exactly happened but I knew that perhaps for the first time in a long time he had considered the idea of a relationship. Of something more."_

_"How did you feel about that?"_

_"Devastated. Confused. Even a little betrayed. I had stupidly thought that if, when he was ready, it would be with me. But of course I would never have told him that. I resolved to move on, accept that what we had was a wonderful friendship and nothing more."_

_"Men can be such idiots at times."_

_Laura laughed, "Can't we all."_

* * *

Turning the page on to a new chapter he had said. Which, Laura throughout ruefully, could mean any number of things.

As they moved to sit down at their table, Laura could feel Robbie's hand at her back and she couldn't help but feel warm at his touch. New chapter indeed, but what was to be written was still a mystery. He had definitely been seeking her out more than normal and she couldn't have been more surprised when he carried on holding her hand as they walked along by the river. Flirty Robbie she was used to, but flirty, affectionate and - dare she say - romantic Robbie was not something she had ever experienced. At least not all at the same time.

There was no doubt that when Robbie was in a good mood, when he wasn't worn down by a complicated murder case or the loneliness caused by his late wife, he was good fun to be around. Laura remembered the parties he and Val used to host, the dinners, the drinks after work. He was the life and soul, he was fun, mischievous, cheeky, always flirty. It was like watching him awake from years of slumber. Except, even Laura had to admit, his wakeful moments had been more and more frequent lately. Could it really be that he had moved on?

"Ok Robbie, what's going on?" Laura said, a smirk on her face.

Robbie tried, unsuccessfully she noted, to look innocent, "Whatever do you mean Dr Hobson?"

"Don't give me that look Lewis, you know fine well what I mean. Not that I am complaining but in the last few days I have lost count of the amount of times you have asked me to dinner. You decide to hold my hand while we are strolling along the canal, you are voluntarily paying for dinner at the Randolph. I normally only get posh grub from you when you are feeling guilty about something and I cannot remember you ever holding my hand before."

Robbie looked at her for a long moment, he didn't look panicked, he didn't look shy, in fact if anything he looked…smug. She was about to launch into another rant when he reached over and took one of her hands in his.

"It's like I said. I'm starting a new chapter, Laura. I was wondering, hoping even, that you would help me write it."

She took a long look at him, felt his thumb rub softly over the back of her hand and she shivered slightly. A thousand thoughts, a thousand memories assaulted her all at once. She looked up at him, cocked her head and eyed him with a slight smirk.

"Took you long enough."

He dipped his head with a smile before looking back at her, "I know I probably don't deserve you, but I want you. I have for long time. I just wasn't sure how to."

"I don't know Robbie, you've been doing pretty well over the last few days."

"I might…need some help with the rest Laura, it's been a long time since I dated a pretty girl."

Laura laughed, "Come off it, we've been 'dating' for years. Just without some of the other benefits." She wasn't surprised to see him blush slightly but the wide grin he gave her made him look years younger. She strongly suspected the stupid smile was reflected on her face too.

Walking home after their delicious dinner, Laura was surprised at how normal everything felt. As though everything had just seamlessly fell into place. They strolled hand in hand through the streets of Oxford, talking about everything and nothing all at once. When they got to her door he leaned in, no shyness now, to kiss her thoroughly.

After a few moments he pulled away slightly, "I've got to go to the hospital early tomorrow morning, interview those kids again. Perhaps we can meet for coffee?"

She grasped his tie, smiling up at him, now she had him she didn't intend on letting him go, "I have a better idea, why don't you come in for coffee now?"

"I've got to be up early." She heard him say as she turned to go through her front door.

"Good job I've got an alarm then." She said over her shoulder to him and smiled as she heard the door shut and his soft footfalls behind her.

* * *

"_Action Man will be devastated." Jean said with a smile._

_Laura looked up at her amused, "I didn't realise you called him that too."_

_"While he is, forgive my unprofessionalism, rather easy on the eye, he's all a bit too…showy for my liking. And he nearly cocked up one of the largest drug busts the County has ever seen. He had to rely on ploddering old Lewis to tackle his prime suspect."_

_Laura snorted, "Ploddering? Hardly."_

_"Oh God, Laura I am really am happy for you both but if you are going to tell me that Robbie Lewis is an animal in bed, I am going to throw up."_

_Laura grinned back at Jean and held her hands up in defence, "I won't, I promise. Action man asked me out, you know?"_

_Jean gave her a withering look, "Of course I know, I also know that you did go out with him once, to that lecture thingy." Laura looked at her confused, partly wondering how she knew and that she had used the word 'thingy'. She eyed the bottle of wine they had ordered between them and was surprised that it was nearly empty. She mentally shrugged, in for a penny, in for a pound. If she was going to go drinking with Jean Innocent, they might as well do it in style. She indicated to the bar man for another to which Jean smiled approvingly._

_"You should have seen Lewis and Hathaway when he mentioned it in a briefing. If looks could kill Action Man would have been a pile of ashes."_

_"Hathaway too?"_

_"Yep, very protective of his boss is James. Word around the station was that they couldn't understand what you would see in him. The tall, dark, handsome, single man..."_

_"Men." Laura sighed with an eye roll._

_""I'll drink to that."_

_"You know Robbie acted like a jealous lover. I told him that Action Man had asked me to dinner and he huffed and puffed before I put him out of his misery."_

_"I would have made him suffer."_

_"It did cross my mind. But I never wanted to play games with him."_

_"You are a better person than me, Laura Hobson."_

_"I doubt that."_

_"After all he put you through. The years of waiting, of mixed signals. He probably deserved it."_

_Laura smiled, "Maybe you are right. Although I have a lifetime now for him to make it up to me."_

_Jean raised her eyebrows, "Lifetime?"_

_"God I hope so."_

* * *

She was pretty sure there was a spring in her step. Which although understandable still seemed a bit ridiculous for a 50-something. The previous night combined with her own personal coffee delivery that morning and the stroll along the river had her grinning like a maniac. When he had asked whether she had fancied a ride, their new intimate relationship had forced her mind into the gutter. Still, she thought with a rueful smile, it was a further example of how they both had taken to the change in their relationship with ease. She wondered whether that should give her cause for concern, that after nearly twenty years of friendship, it should be more awkward shouldn't it? But it wasn't awkward at all. There may have been a moment when Robbie had turned up at her lab this morning, coffee in hand, but that was less awkwardness and more the fact that she was trying to act professional when her boyfriend was at the window. Good grief, boyfriend, she really was starting to act like a teenager. If she ever referred to Robbie as her boyfriend again she made herself a promise that she would stab herself in the eye with her own scalpel.

She entered the pub and her pulse quickened at the sight of Robbie, she knew she was forming a stupid grin but she didn't care. She had wanted to grab him and kiss him all day. So she did.

* * *

_"I think after all you've gone through, forever is no less than you deserve."_

_"God that was almost nice Jean, you are drunk aren't you?"_

_Jean waved her hand, "You know I'm not the devil incarnate?"_

_"No you just..."_

_"Act like I have a broom stuck up my backside?"_

_"Something like that."_

_Jean sighed, "I'm trying to change that."_

_"Good, you're much more likeable I have to say."_

_"Thank you good doctor. I have to say if you keep putting on performances like you did the other day, I'll have to come drinking with you guys more often."_

_"Oh god, don't remind me."_

_"You weren't expecting us I take it?"_

_Laura shook her head, "Slightly embarrassing to be caught snogging by Robbie's boss and his subordinate."_

_"He didn't seem to mind." Jean chuckled over the rim of her wine glass._

_"No, he thought it was funny!"_

_"It was!" Jean exclaimed as she went to take another gulp of wine. Laura held up the fresh bottle of wine, that was unbelievably already half empty and filled up Jean's glass before topping up her own."_

_Jean smiled her thanks and sat back, "I think I'm going to have a headache tomorrow."_

_"I'm sure we've earned a day nursing our hangovers on the sofa with crap films, chocolate and IrnBru."_

_"I'm sure we have. I've also earned £20 from Hathaway to pay for said chocolate and IrnBru."_

_"£20? Whatever for?"_

_"I bet him £20 that one day you would have enough and just plant one on him in front of everyone."_

_"You bet on me?"_

_Jean nodded obviously nonplussed, "We all did."_

_"I think I'm too drunk to fully understand how I feel about that."_

_"I'll split it with you."_

_Laura laughed, and wondered whether the euphoria she was feeling was solely because of the wine._

_"I had thought it would be a lot sooner mind."_

_"Oh?" Laura asked intrigued._

_"A couple of years ago, I could have sworn I heard you asking Robbie to your place for dinner. I thought..."_

_Laura sighed, "Yeah, me too." She shrugged her shoulders, "He cancelled, said we should re-arrange."_

_"And?"_

_"We did rearrange, except it was dinner with James at the Black Horse."_

_"Ah."_

_"I decided then that was it. No more. I was moving on._

_"And yet here you are."_

_"Yes evidence, if you will, of the fact I am a sad pathetic loser of a woman."_

_"Sad, pathetic a loser of a woman who finally got her man."_

_Laura looked at Jean quizzically, it was hard to say whether Jean was being supportive or critical. Which was usually the case but she was too drunk to care._

_"I did didn't I?!"_

_Jean held up her glass._

_"Here's to getting your man." Jean held up her wine to clink glasses._

* * *

Robbie put his arm around her shoulder and she snuggled into him with a smile as they walked home.

Public displays of affection were not usually her thing but, with Robbie, it seemed that she didn't care. As he teased her about her face when she had realised Jean and James were there, she wondered whether the reason it felt fine to snog her, yes she was going to say it, "significant other" in the pub, to walk the streets of Oxford wrapped in each other's arms was because for the first time, it was right.

"I think their faces were funnier." Laura argued.

"I don't think James is ever going to stop smirking at me. And Innocent seemed to be enjoying herself too, at my expense. What were you and Innocent gossiping about anyway?"

"She invited me to go for a drink with her."

"Seriously?"

"The ice maiden is thawing. What did you do to her?"

"Who knows. Are you going?"

"She said she was paying."

"You've got to be the cheapest woman I have ever met."

"And you love me for it."

"I really do."


End file.
